Allegations from 'Bonusgate:' Basketball dinner on the taxpayer dime

Every day this week, PolitickerPA.com will publish an allegation from the "Bonusgate" presentment released Thursday by Attorney General Tom Corbett. Although the indictments have received intense scrutiny, many interesting stories within the voluminous presentment have still gone unreported.

PolitickerPA.com reminds readers these are still only allegations, and each person implicated is still innocent until proven guilty.

Taxpayers were holding the bill for weekly post-basketball dinners held by members of the House Democratic Caucus, according to Attorney General Tom Corbett's 73-page presentment.

Caucus member Karen Steiner testified former House Minority Whip Mike Veon (D-Beaver County) and other House Democrats from 2002 to 2006 would regularly play basketball Tuesday night before retreating to Veon's office for dinner, page 72 of the presentment says. Steiner and Melissa Lewis would take food orders from the players, order and purchase it, and then have it ready for the players when they returned, it alleges.

Steiner testified this was an expected duty of her employment, the attorney general said.

The receipts were given to Caucus member Brett Cott, who would reimburse them -- the dinner ranged from $100 to $300, the presentment says.

Steiner testified, according to page 73 of the presentment, that the food selection varied: "Sometimes Mexican, sometimes Italian, sometimes sushi. The sushi bills were astronomical."

The attorney general alleges all the food was paid for with taxpayer money, about $22,000 in all.